Mid-Life Riders Online
Riding for Charity - Newfoundland & Labrador
Colony Of Avalon - Ferryland
One of the most enjoyable rides on the Avalon is the Irish Loop from Kilbride to Holyrood and although I have done this trip in car a few times, It was so much better on a motorcycle. As much as I enjoy the ride around the Irish Loop, I also enjoy being a tourist. It is one thing to see Newfoundland & Labrador, it is quite another to experience it and to truly experience it, you are required to get off the bike and on occasion, you may also need to walk a little.
This was the case at the Colony of Avalon in Ferryland. It is unbelievable that the history of Ferryland spans 500 years and the Colony of Avalon in particular dates back to the 1620's. The first attempt at permanent settlement at Ferryland began in 1620 when George Calvert, later the first Lord Baltimore, purchased a narrow tract of land between Capelin Bay (now Calvert) and the headland between Aquaforte and Fermeuse on the southern Avalon Peninsula. The rest as they say is history, and what a history it is.
There is an ongoing archaeological dig at Ferryland and as you walk through the cobblestone streets of the 1620's, you witness the history of the site come alive before your very eyes as the crew uncovers artifacts almost 400 years old. To date they have cataloged over 1 million artifacts and much of this is on display in the modern interpretation Centre Museum. We took a guided tour of the site, with the tour guide walking us through the 400 years of remarkable history every step of the way. You leave with a real sense of what it must have been like for the settlers and the hardships they endured including invasions by the French causing death and destruction.
No trip around the Irish Loop can be called complete without a tour of the Colony of Avalon and it should be on everyone's to do and see list when riding the Irish Loop. For a complete history of the site, please visit http://www.heritage.nf.ca/avalon/default.html.
Mervyn House
Mid-life riders
This was the case at the Colony of Avalon in Ferryland. It is unbelievable that the history of Ferryland spans 500 years and the Colony of Avalon in particular dates back to the 1620's. The first attempt at permanent settlement at Ferryland began in 1620 when George Calvert, later the first Lord Baltimore, purchased a narrow tract of land between Capelin Bay (now Calvert) and the headland between Aquaforte and Fermeuse on the southern Avalon Peninsula. The rest as they say is history, and what a history it is.
There is an ongoing archaeological dig at Ferryland and as you walk through the cobblestone streets of the 1620's, you witness the history of the site come alive before your very eyes as the crew uncovers artifacts almost 400 years old. To date they have cataloged over 1 million artifacts and much of this is on display in the modern interpretation Centre Museum. We took a guided tour of the site, with the tour guide walking us through the 400 years of remarkable history every step of the way. You leave with a real sense of what it must have been like for the settlers and the hardships they endured including invasions by the French causing death and destruction.
No trip around the Irish Loop can be called complete without a tour of the Colony of Avalon and it should be on everyone's to do and see list when riding the Irish Loop. For a complete history of the site, please visit http://www.heritage.nf.ca/avalon/default.html.
Mervyn House
Mid-life riders
